the space between
by NewtsSuitcase
Summary: AU / Evie, Mal, Carlos and Jay reunite in high school, after being adopted as children. They're different people now, in different groups. Mal has a crush on Evie, and lets Evie try to get her to fit in more. But it goes too far, and she returns to their old hideout. Evie goes to confront her, and leaves conflicted. Does she like her best friend, or is she happy with her boyfriend?
1. How it Happened

the space between

Rating: K+

Summary: AU / Evie, Mal, Carlos and Jay reunite in high school, after being adopted as children. They're different people now, in different groups. Mal has a crush on Evie, and lets Evie try to get her to fit in more. But it goes too far, and she returns to their old hideout. Evie goes to confront her, and leaves conflicted. Does she like her best friend, or is she happy with her boyfriend?

* * *

Mallory sighed, wrapping her arms around her knees, drawing them towards her chest. She gazed out at the night sky, watching cars drive by.

She was in her fourth foster home that year, and she was already preparing herself to be sent back, despite it only being the second day. She was used to not being wanted, only feeling at home with her three friends. They had been through it all together, the only constants in each other's lives.

When they all inevitably were sent back, they'd all gather in the broom closet under the stairs, and comfort each other.

This time, though, seemed like it might be different. Instead of all being separated, one family decided to take in both Carlos and Jay, after seeing how much they relied on each other.

So off they went, with the kind, energetic woman, and her daughter.

Evelyn went two days later, with a short, kind of forgetful, but smart man, and his son, leaving Mallory alone at Auradon Orphanage.

And then the mayor, his wife, and his son arrived. Mallory hid in the broom closet, not wanting to be seen by the seemingly perfect family that was probably there for publicity stunt.

Unfortunately, or at least it seemed at the time, she knocked over a broom, which created a loud noise. She had tried to hide, but a boy about her age, curious about the noise, discovered her.

"What's your name?" he asked, sitting down on the floor, ignoring the dust that was getting all over his nice pants.

Mallory stayed silent, hoping he would take the hint, and leave.

When she didn't answer, he could continued to talk anyways. "I'm Ben. I'm here with my mom and dad. They want to find me a sister. I should be with them, because they want my help," he paused after his thought, giving her a chance to speak.

After a few minutes of silence, in which the boy took in his surroundings, Mallory spoke.

"My name is Mallory. I don't have a mom or dad, but I have a sister and two brothers. We found each other here."

The boy smiled, watching the girl peak slightly out from behind the brooms and mops she was hiding behind. "What are their names?"

"Jay, Carlos and Evie, though her real name is Evelyn."

"Where are they now?"

"Jay and Carlos are together. They went with a woman and her daughter, and then E went with a man and his son. It's just me," she retorted.

Ben frowned. For a young child to be alone in a place that isn't a real home, without the three people she trusted the most, wasn't ideal. He couldn't imagine being away from his mama and dad. "How long have you been here?"

"Three years," was her short response. "We were on the streets for a year."

"Oh," was all Ben could say.

"Ben, sweetheart!" a woman's voice called out from outside the room. "Where did you run off to?"

Ben stood up, then walked over to where the girl was sitting. He looked at her hair, noting the fading purple. He held out his hand to her, which she just glared at, before getting up on her own.

Ben shrugged, then opened the door. "I'm here, mama."

The woman was in a yellow dress. She leaned down, hugging her son, before spotting Mal standing behind him. "And who's this?"

"That's Mal."

"Hi, Mal," his mom directed at her. "My name's Belle. I'm Ben's mom. How old are you?"

"I'm eight," she replied haughtily.

Belle simply smiled. "You have spirit. I like that. Do you have any friends here, Mal?"

Mal shook her head. "Not right now. They went with families earlier this week."

"What are their names?"

"Evie, Carlos and Jay."

"Oh, I know the families that took them in. They're good people."

Mal analyzed Belle's face, trying to see if she was telling the truth. Satisfied that she was, Mal nodded.

"Do you want to come with us? Ben seems to like you, and I do to."

Mal hesitated. Ben seemed okay. And she liked Belle. Both were being nice to her, and didn't push for her past. But she didn't want to be part of a publicity stunt. She knew how they were acting right now was them, because there were no cameras or reporters in the orphanage. Belle had said her friends were with good people, and she hoped that they could have a family. They all deserved it, even though they would always have each other. But two seven year olds, and two eight year olds couldn't live on their own forever.

"Okay," Mal whispered, looking at the floor.

Belle smiled, before gesturing her husband over. "Adam, Ben found a friend, and I think she'd be a great fit. This is Mal."

Adam smiled. "I think you'll enjoy our home, Mal."

* * *

That had been almost ten years ago, and now Mal was a senior at Auradon Prep. She had been adopted by Belle and Adam three months after they began fostering her, her friends being adopted by the families that took them in as well.

They had fallen out of touch, except for email, once they were adopted, as they all went to different schools.

But high school was different. She had reconnected with her friends, though they all had different paths.

Evie was one of the IT girls, along with Audrey, Lonnie and their tag-a-long, Jane. The popular guys in their group consisted of Ben, Chad, and others that Mal never bothered to learn the names of.

Jay could sometimes be seen hanging around with them, as Ben and Chad were his teammates, the three of them being the star players. As well, Evie was a childhood friend, and though they each had their own group of friends, they would always rely on each other for certain aspects of their life.

Mal and Carlos were the two that weren't "popular" in any capacity, even though Mal was well known, being Ben's sister, and thus the daughter of the mayor, as well as her tendencies to be a bit rebellious. She had graffitied her locker, though no one could do anything about it, as each student was encouraged to be creative with their locker decorations. Mal wasn't what people expected of the mayor's adopted daughter. Instead of nice dresses and shoes, Mal was usually seen in ripped jeans, either black or dark purple, combat boots and a leather jacket.

She appeared intimidating to those who didn't know her, but she was fiercely protective of those she cared about.

Carlos, on the other hand, was the most of an outsider, as he was both a tech wiz and a dog trainer. He was friends with the band nerds, including Doug, Evie's brother. He was only on people's radar because he was also Jay and Jane's brother. He was connected to a lot of groups, because of Evie, Mal, Jay, Jane, and their respective siblings, though he preferred to spend Friday and Saturday nights at home playing video games, rather than going to parties.

Mal would often go over to his place, while her parents and brother were out. She and Carlos would sit together, him playing video games or doing something on his laptop, while Mal would often be sketching.

However, once she and Evie rebuilt their friendship, the latter would often drag the former to parties. Evie wanted to spend more time with her absolute best friend, but couldn't deny her new friends.

That night was supposed to be one of the biggest parties of the year, held at Chad's manor. Evie had shown up at Mal's front door, just as the purple haired girl was getting ready to meet up with Carlos. Evie had barged in, talking a mile a minute as she pulled her friend up the stairs. She pushed open the door labeled "MAL," sitting said girl down on her bed,

"Okay, you are totally coming with me tonight. It's pretty much the biggest night of the year, and I don't want to show up with my best friend. You may be able to worm your way out of other parties, but not this one. So if you had any plans, cancel them."

"E, I'm really not in the mood. Carlos-"

"M, it's one night," Evie pleaded as she got to work. "At least let me get you dressed up so you can make an appearance. I won't make you stay as long as you show for five minutes."

"Ugh, fine. But only five minutes."

Evie smiled widely as she clapped her hands together. "Deal! You won't regret this. And who knows? You may want to stay longer."

"I doubt that, E. I don't really fit in with those people, even though Ben's my brother, and you and Jay are my friends."

Evie sighed as she opened Mal's closet. "I just want to be able to hang out with you more, but I'm so busy with the academic decathlon, yearbook, fashion club and cheer. After the play finished, we've barely seen each other. And you and Jay are older than me and Carlos. You're going to graduate before me, and I don't want to miss out on time with my bestie. If you're friends with my other friends, we can spend more time together. It's been awhile, and though I'm happy with the life I have now, I miss when it was just you, me, Jay and Carlos against the world."

"I get it, E, I do. It's still weird to be able to get whatever I want, to have a family, and one with money at that. But we're also our own people. You found your group, I have mine."

"Yeah, time changes us," Evie whispered.

Mal forced a laugh, trying to lighten the mood. "Hey, put some music on," she nodded to her phone. "It's already connected to the speaker."

"On it!" Evie exclaimed.

They made small talk as Evie worked.

Forty five minutes later, the purple haired girl stared at herself in the mirror, hardly recognizing herself. Her hair was gently curled, pinned back with a fancy barrette. Evie had gone crazy with the eye makeup, using colors to bring out Mal's eyes. As well, the blue haired girl had made her friend put on a dress that was way out of Mal's comfort zone.

Evie had always enjoyed dressing her friend up and doing her makeup, the one thing she held onto that her mother had taught her. Mal had never questioned it, as long as she wasn't forced to go out in public, as she didn't like having a face full of makeup.

However, once she was adopted by the mayor's family, all eyes were on her, and she had to behave better than she had. Ben had convinced her to stay true to herself, to not change completely. He was the first one who had seen the good in her, who showed her what it was like to have a caring family, despite the fact that she used to see Jay, Carlos and Evie as siblings when they were younger.

Despite the fact that Mal had come to trust her adoptive brother with most things, there were some moments of her life that he would never be able to understand. He had grown up with a roof over his head, and two loving parents who could provide him with anything he wanted.

However, Mal, Evie, Carlos and Jay had been homeless, living on the streets off of food scraps thrown away when they were four and five. They had stumbled across each other, and after initial hostilities, they became fast friends. For a year, they were on the street, before a woman noticed their situation.

They were in a foster home the next day.

They never had much, and only Evie was concerned about looks, because even at her young age, her mother had already drilled into her head that that was what was important.

Mal never cared about what she looked like, and Evie respected it, even though she thoroughly enjoyed all the times she got to give her friend a makeover.

Mal had always figured that her first three friends would always love her for who she was, and not want her to change. Ben was added to that list, and eventually his, and now her, parents. They only asked that she work on her manners, but allowed her to follow her passions otherwise.

But now it seemed that Evie was trying to change her, whether intentionally or not. And it was this thought that pushed Mal over the edge.

"I can't do this anymore, E," Mal cried out, frustrated as she ran her hands through her hair. "I can't be this girl anymore. It's just not me. I know you mean well, but I can't."

"Mal, I-"

"Just," Mal breathed. "Please, I just need some time alone."

Evie nodded, before heading for the door, reluctantly. She knew that she wouldn't be able to change her friend's mind, so she decided to do what she wanted.

Once Evie was gone, Mal whipped out her phone, sending a text to Carlos.

 _Can't come over tonight. I need some time for myself. I'm going away for the weekend. I'll be okay._

Mal changed out of the outfit Evie had put her in, and wiped off all the makeup. She threw her hair up into a ponytail, before slipping on her boots. She stuffed a few essentials into her bag, before sneaking out the window.

She had considered taking the car that she and Ben shared, but she was afraid it would be too loud, as well as not wanting to leave her brother without a way to get to school in the morning. Instead, she grabbed the keys to the vespa Adam and Belle had gifted to her, shoving her helmet on her head, before speeding off towards the expressway.

At that time of night, there wasn't too much traffic, so Mal was easily able to speed away, towards the outskirts of Auradon.

She started when she felt her phone start to vibrate in her pocket, a small smile gracing her face, knowing that it was her brother calling her. Ben seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to her.

However, she wiped the smile off her face, determined to keep going.

* * *

It only took half an hour until the familiar sight of Auradon Orphanage came into view, and a wistful smile crossed Mal's face. She and her friend's may have been young when they were last there, but it was still prevalent in their memories. It was better than the streets. They had a roof over their head, got three meals a day, and most importantly, had each other.

They had found their own hideout, an abandoned building a couple blocks away. They had scrounged together stuff to furnish it, and would sneak away. When they had reconnected in high school, they had spent a weekend just the four of them there, bringing more materials. Now, it was furnished with two beds, lamps and tables, a sewing machine for Evie, a painting corner for Mal's supplies, a computer for Carlos and sports equipment for Jay. The walls had been painted by Mal, each main wall decorated for each of them.

It was the place where Mal knew she could be alone with her thoughts, where no one would bother her.

So it was the logical place for her to flee to.

She hid her vespa, then walked up the stairs to the top floor, their hideout. She settled in onto the bed that had been deemed "the girl's bed," setting her bag on the floor. Too emotionally drained, she fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Morning came, the light streaming in through the window. She grabbed something quick to eat, sitting up in the loft, looking up at the sky through the skyroof, before deciding she needed to paint.

Mal painted furiously, a spray paint can in each hand as she covered the wall with everything she was feeling.

When she had still been at the orphanage, she had found the rundown building nearby, and she and her friends made it their own. After she was adopted, she would still occasionally visit. And then her parents started refurbishing old buildings, and Mal had been worried that she'd lose their hideout. She had come forward, asking quietly if they could spare one building, at least the interior of the top floor.

Adam and Belle had been surprised, to say the least, but when Ben backed her up, they had agreed. A compromise had been reached: the fixed up the outside, but left the interior exactly how it was. They had decided that Mal would be able to decide the fate of the building. If she ever wanted to change something up, she could, and if she wanted it to stay the same, they would leave it.

It was then that Mal let herself realize that Ben would be a good brother, and they grew closer. He always supported everything she did, and she realized it was because he truly cared for her when he was at her side about her old hideout.

Throughout grade school, they were always together. And then middle school came and Ben made other friends, but always made time for his sister, who was getting more into art.

They always made time for each other, and halfway through seventh grade, Mal had made the decision to show Ben the hideout. He had wanted to see it, but he let her make the choice, knowing how important to her it was. Mal had come to trust Ben with almost all of her secrets, and to prove it, she brought him to the hideout.

It was there where she first came out, to him before anyone else, even before Evie, Jay and Carlos. It was her way of telling him she loved him, and when she had told him she liked girls, he hugged her, and told her he'd always be there for her.

It was one of Mal's most precious memories, and they had only grown closer since. When she got to high school, she stopped hiding it, though she didn't flaunt it either.

Mal smiled as she reminisced on that day, and began painting her brother, adding him to the wall that was hers. He was a big part of her past, and she wanted to immortalize that.

It was dark out when she looked up again, wondering what snapped her out of her thoughts.

There were footsteps making their way up the stairs, and Mal paused. Not many people knew about the hideout, so she could narrow it down to a few people that could be making their way up.

She ducked behind a nearby cabinet, waiting to find out who it was.

"Mal?" Evie called out. "I know you're here. Carlos said you were going away from the weekend. I asked him if he had heard from you when you didn't respond to my calls and texts. He only told me you were okay, and that you left for a little. I knew you would be here. Please, Mallory. Can we talk?"

The two girls rarely called each other by their full names, sticking to the preferred nicknames. However, the full names were used when they were talking about something serious, so Mal knew her friend meant business, and wouldn't leave until they had talked.

She sighed, resigning herself to the looming conversation. "What do you want, Evelyn?"

"Can you come down?"

Mal grumbled under her breath, but began the ascent down to the ground. As she climbed down the ladder, Evie settled onto one of the chairs in the corner of the room.

"I'm here," Mal stated, crossing her arms. "Now talk."

"I'm really glad we get to hangout again. Those years the four of us were apart from each other were hard. I mean, yeah, we all had our siblings. But it's always been the four of us against the world, hasn't it? I just… sometimes I want it to be the way it used to be. We're all so different now. I just wanted to spend more time with you. I hang out with Jay a lot, because we're in the same group and I'm friends with his sister and Carlos is his brother. I wanted us to go back to how we were, and I pushed you too far."

Mal had uncrossed her arms while her friend was speaking, and had sat down on the chair next to Evie's.

"Mal, you were there for me and looked out for me for years. Maybe I was selfish for trying to make you more like me, to make you fit in more with my friends, rather than doing things you like. I just… I want the Fearsome Four back."

Mal squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep her tears at bay, but Evie had already noticed.

"Oh, M," Evie murmured, cupping her friend's face with her hands, gently wiping away a few tears streaming down the purple haired girl's face. "I should've been more understanding. I pushed you too far, because I couldn't tell that you were faking enjoying it. This," she nodded her head, indicating herself, "was never you. I'm sorry."

Mal closed her eyes, turning slightly away, but not pulling away.

"Hey," Evie whispered, placing her forehead against her friend's. "I will always support whatever you want. Just tell me what you want, and I'll make sure it happens."

Mal shook her head, pulling away from her friend. "You can't give me what I want. This is my life, and I have to decide what to do with it. I can't rely on anyone else anymore. If I want something, I need to make the effort. Right now, I just need to think."

Mal stalked away back to the wall she was working on, picking up a spray paint can and resuming her work she had been doing before she had tried to hide in the loft.

Evie sighed, pulling out her sketchbook and flopping down on the bed in the corner of the room.

They worked in silence for awhile, the only sounds being Evie's pencil and Mal's paint cans.

Ten minutes later, Mal set down her paints, wiping her hair away from her face, not caring that she now had a streak of blue across her cheek. She sat down in a nearby chair, and glanced over at her friend.

Evie was sprawled out on the bed, laying on her stomach as she designed dresses. Her lips pursed as she changed something.

Mal's stomach flip flopped as she watched her friend, taking in how beautiful she looked without the stress of high school weighing on her. As it was the weekend, Evie had dressed down compared to her usual sense of dress. She was wearing her flats, forgoing her usual heeled boots. Gone was the usual dress, replaced with simple jeans, white shirt with a criss cross neckline, her blue leather jacket on top. She was wearing eyeliner, highlight and clear lipgloss, rather than her full face of makeup.

This. This was Mal's favorite version of her friend.

Mal stood up, hesitantly making her way over to where her friend was, kneeling down in front of her.

"M?" Evie asked, tilting her head slightly. "What's up?"

Mal took a deep breath, then cupped Evie's face, eyes fluttering shut as she leaned it, gently pressing her lips against the blue haired girl's in a chaste kiss.

She pulled away quickly, moving to the other side of the room before Evie could open her mouth.

"Please, just go, E."

"Mal, I- Mal, do you love me?"

"Please, E," Mal pleaded. "I know you're with Chad, and he seems good for you. I just-"

"M, please. Let's talk about this. Yes, I am with Chad, and he is good to me. My mother would've been happy about it," Evie's nose scrunched slightly when she brought up her mom. "And yes, I do care for him. He makes me happy. But so do you!"

"You're confused, and that's fine," Mal shook her head, climbing up a ladder to reach the loft. "Stay with him, be happy. You were happy with him before. You deserve to stay that way. You'll go back to fashion and cheerleading and being with Chad and Audrey. I'll go back to art and staying in the shadows with Carlos. Everything was less complicated that way. We might smile and wave at each other in the hallways, but we don't have to hang out anymore."

"Mal, you can't tell me what I want, what to do! It's my life-"

"Please, Evie. Just until you can figure out what you truly want. You're confused right now. And that's fair. I sprung that- that kiss on you. Take time and think things through. Then you can decide what you want. Deal?" Mal stood at the edge of the loft, hands against one of the ceiling beams to support herself.

Evie sighed, frustrated, running her hand through her hair. "I don't like it, but I know you, Mallory. You're stubborn. Fine. I know that's the best I'm going to get."

"Thank you, Evelyn," Mal called down, before disappearing. "I'll see you at school."

Evie waited for a couple minutes, hoping her friend would reappear, but to no avail. She reluctantly left the building, look back once.

"See you on Monday, M."

* * *

A/N: so yeah... I'm starting yet another story. this one is all planned out, and will be 3 chapters, the second of which is almost done. my other stories are still currently on hiatus, but i will come back to them.

this story came to me when i listening to the song whose name gave me the title.

if you want to see other scenes of the gang in high school on an average day, just let me know. after i finish the chapters for this plot line, i can write scenes that aren't part of this story if y'all want. just leave me prompts. you can also send me scenes you want to see, or other story ideas through PM or on tumblr (hope-can-be-your-sword) or on instagram (queenreynaofnewrome).

thanks for reading! and you can find my original story i'm working on on wattpad. my username there is hidden_sunrise

~NewtsSuitcase


	2. Conflicted

the space between

Rating: K+

Summary: AU / Evie, Mal, Carlos and Jay reunite in high school, after being adopted as children. They're different people now, in different groups. Mal has a crush on Evie, and lets Evie try to get her to fit in more. But it goes too far, and she returns to their old hideout. Evie goes to confront her, and leaves conflicted. Does she like her best friend, or is she happy with her boyfriend?

* * *

"Evie!" Audrey squealed as her friend approached.

Both girls were dressed in their blue and yellow cheerleading uniforms, as they had an important game that day.

"Hey, Audrey," Evie smiled slightly, still preoccupied with what had happened over the past weekend. It was Friday now, but she kept her promise to her friend, and they hadn't talked since then, even though Evie wanted to. She glanced around quickly, trying to see if she could spot Mal, but to no avail.

"Oh my god!" Audrey exclaimed as they approached Evie's locker.

Evie's hand flew up to cover her mouth when she saw her boyfriend standing there, waiting for her. He was dressed up, that charming smiled aimed at her. He was holding a bouquet of red roses and a small black velvet box. Behind him, some of his teammates (in their varsity jackets), with a sign that spelled out: PROM?

Chad was a year older than her, and a shoo in for prom king, Ben being his only true competition. And now, here he was, asking her to be his date.

Evie had always dreamed about going to prom with her own Prince Charming. Here he was, smiling at her, a questioning look in his eyes. A week ago, Evie would have no hesitations. But now, she was torn.

"Evie Carson. You are the light of my life, and I would like nothing more than if you came to prom with me." He flipped open the box, revealing his class ring. "So, what do you say?"

Evie glanced around her, taking in her friends surrounding her, Audrey hanging onto her arm, an excited look in her eyes. She sucked in a breath, weighing her options in her mind. The pressure of all these people watching her, waiting, expecting her to say yes, was weighing on her. Maybe she was still confused about everything, but she knew that no matter what she ended up choosing, Chad was a good guy. He didn't deserve to be publicly rejected without a reason.

"Yes," Evie let the word slip from between her lips, forcing a smile on her face.

Audrey squealed loudly, everyone else cheering.

Evie let her boyfriend slip his ring onto her finger, taking the bouquet in her arms. As the bell rang, signaling five minutes before class, she pecked his cheek. "I'll talk to you later. And thank you for the flowers. They're beautiful."

"Anytime, babe," Chad grinned, before turning left, his friends high fiving each other behind him.

Evie sniffed the flowers, smiling slightly at the scent, before grabbing what she needed out of her locker.

She glanced one more time around the hallway, a few groups of people milling about.

Still not seeing Mal, Evie sighed, and started walking down the hallway to her fashion class.

Unbeknownst to Evie, the friend she had been looking for had been hiding among the crowds, her easily identifiable hair tucked into a hat.

 _I guess she made her choice,_ Mal thought as she kept her head down, heading to her class. _As long as she's happy._

* * *

Mal's eyes were closed as she let Carlos run his fingers through his hair.

The two friends were hiding under the bleachers, knowing that during lunch almost no one would be there.

"Hey Carlos?"

"Hm?" he responded lazily.

"Do you wanna go to prom with me? I mean, I'd like a friend there with me. After everything..."

"Mal," he whispered. "I'm sorry about what happened." Carlos was the only person Mal had trusted about her crush on their blue haired friend.

Mal shrugged a shoulder. "I told her it was her choice, that I just want her to be happy. She made her choice."

"Still. I know it's gotta hurt. But yeah, I'd be honored to go with you. After all, who else is going to help you prank everyone?" he grinned, trying to lighten the mood.

"Thanks, C," Mal smiled. "And about those pranks… I have some ideas."

"Let's hear them."

* * *

Evie sighed, sitting down in the changing room.

She was prom dress shopping with Audrey, who had been asked to prom by Ben, Mal's brother, and Lonnie, who was going with Jay.

Evie herself already had a dress. She had made herself and Mal dresses earlier in the year, knowing that if she and Chad were still together, he'd be asking her, and if not, Mal said she could be her plus one.

However, her two friends needed dresses, and Evie herself still needed shoes.

So there she was, with her two friends who were excitedly trying on dresses, talking a mile a minute about their dates.

Audrey's selection was all pink, while Lonnie's were shades of turquoise, a few black ones mixed in.

Evie gave the appropriate "ooo"s and "ah"s when needed, but her mind was elsewhere. Prom was quickly approaching, and her mind was still torn. She had spent the first few years of her life learning that she had to find a "Prince Charming" by her mother, until she had been killed, leaving the four year old out on the streets. When she had been younger, Carlos, Mal and Jay had been her siblings, and they always looked out for each other. And then they had been separated for years, with only email to stay in contact until they met again in high school. It had been a joyful reunion, to see the people they trusted the most, who lived through the hardest years of their lives with each other.

Yes, Evie had to admit that when she saw her best friend that she had grown up attractive. But her mother's words were too strong in her mind, and she shoved aside the small attraction that she had for her best friend, and what she had once had for both Lonnie and Audrey. When Chad asked her out, she said yes, because he was everything she was supposed to want, and she did have a crush on him.

She had come to care for him very much, but she couldn't call it love. Maybe, in time. She had truly believed that she could fall in love with Chad. He had used to have flings all the time, until about a year before he asked Evie out. His freshman and sophomore years had been full of one time dates, but once Evie had become friends with Audrey and Lonnie, and started hanging out with them more, he had worked at improving his reputation for her.

Evie knew Chad probably loved her. He had proven to her he was serious about being with her, and she appreciated it. Everyone in the school found it adorable.

It had been for the past almost year, their anniversary being the seventh of June, a couple weeks after he'd be graduating.

"E!" Audrey snapped Evie back to the present. "I think this is the one," she spinned, the pale pink dress spinning around her.

"I love it," Evie complemented sincerely. "You should totally get it. Ben will not be able to take his eyes off of you."

"I'm so glad he asked me," Audrey gushed as she zipped up the dress Lonnie was trying on. "I've had a crush on him for awhile. He's so cute, and a real sweetheart. Hey, aren't you friends with his sister?" she aimed her question at Evie.

"Yeah. We met over a decade ago. Before the orphanage. Mal, Carlos, Jay and I lived on the streets together for a year before we went to Auradon Orphanage. After we were adopted, we kept in touch through email, before reuniting again at Auradon Prep."

"She's the one with the purple hair, yeah?"

Evie nodded. "Mal and I sprayed our hair purple and blue respectively with colored hairspray when were about six. It was our thing, and I guess we both kept it all these years."

"That's super cute," Audrey commented, gesturing for Lonnie to spin.

"Mal's in my art class," Lonnie spoke up. "She's really good, but she pretty much sticks to herself. I really only see her with Carlos, and occasionally some of his band friends."

"She's not at all what anyone would expect from the mayor's daughter, but Ben is super protective of her, and I trust him," Audrey shrugged. "What do you think of her, E?"

"She was always my best friend growing up. We trusted each other with everything. I mean, yeah, Jay and Carlos were like our brothers. But there was a lot they couldn't understand. Though the four of us had a similar childhood, ending with us on the streets after the parent who was raising us was killed, probably by the same people. They had enemies in common we didn't know about until later. After we were adopted and didn't see each other anymore, we kept in touch through email, but it wasn't the same. But when we all found each other again in high school, we took a weekend to go back to our old hideout to catch up. Mal painted the walls, one for each of us. She really is talented, and has been as long as I've known her. She keeps getting better and better. Honestly, she's probably one of the most important people in my life, even though we don't spend as much time together as we used to." Evie's cheeks flushed slightly when she realized how much she had said.

Audrey smirked. "Woah there, E. Almost sounds like you have a crush on her."

Evie's cheeks turned even more red. "She's just my best friend, Audrey. We've been through a lot. That's all."

Evie missed Lonnie's look as she turned her face, hiding it by unzipping Audrey.

"Whatever you say, Carson, whatever you say."

* * *

"Thanks for the ride, Audrey," Lonnie waved at their friend.

"No problem, girls," Audrey responded happily. "See you tomorrow!"

Evie and Lonnie waved at Audrey as her car pulled away from Lonnie's place. They had both been dropped off there, as Evie was going to be spending the night. Audrey had been invited, but she had a date with Ben.

The two girls got settled in to Lonnie's room, laying down next to each other on the king sized bed.

"So, E. Real talk. Everything that is said in this room, stays in this room. We can ask each other anything."

Evie sighed, turning over to lay on her back. "Yeah, sure. You go first."

"I saw you when you were talking about Mal earlier, and how you reacted when Audrey asked if you had a crush on her. Tell the truth. Do you?"

Evie's cheeks flushed pink against her will, and she squeezed her eyes shut. After a minute, she decided that she really needed to talk about _everything_ to someone, and after Mal, Lonnie was her first choice.

"She kissed me last Saturday. And I didn't hate it."

"Spill," Lonnie scooter closer to her friend, nudging her gently with her shoulder.

"She ran back to our old hideout. I pushed her too far, tried to make her someone she's not so she'd fit in more with us. I know she's different, and that she doesn't care, but I know there would be some against it. And she tried for awhile. To keep me happy. But it was too much for her. I went to talk to her. She ignored me, worked on a new mural while I worked on my designs. Then she came over to me, and for a minute, it felt like we're were six again. Then she kissed me. I'm just… confused. My mother drilled into my head that I had to find a Prince Charming, emphasis on prince. Even though she was killed when I was four, it did enough damage. I've… I think I've had a crush on three girls before. Audrey, you," her cheeks flushed even more, "and Mal."

Lonnie stayed silent, knowing that Evie needed to get this off of her chest.

"Don't get me wrong. I do really like Chad, and he's really sweet. I don't want to do anything that hurts him, but it might be inevitable. I know I don't love him, and I'm pretty sure he loves me. I probably could love him in time. But Mal's the one I trust above all, with everything. She's the one who helped look after me when we lived on the street. She and Jay were only five, and they were like parents to me and Carlos. We didn't have to grow up too early because of them. They gave up their childhood and innocence, so we could keep ours. We have a lot of history."

"I can see why you're conflicted," Lonnie spoke softly. "I can see you're happy with Chad, but you light up around Mal in a way I've never seen before. The trust between you two is palpable. I get that because of your mother that you've felt like you had to push your attraction for girls aside. But Evie. She isn't here. You can decide who you like, regardless of gender. Yes, maybe some people won't approve of it. I won't lie to you about it. But those who are truly your friend will stand by your side no matter. I'll be here. You know Mal will be there, and Carlos and Jay won't abandon you. Ben will side with you, and so will Jane. It may take Chad some time, because he does love you. However, it's because of that, that in the end, he will be there for you. And Audrey. She may seem weird about it on the surface, but she loves you. You're like a sister to her, and she won't let you go without a fight. You will always, always have us. I promise," she finished, gently placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.

Evie's shoulders started shaking, tears streaming down her face. She had the best friends anyone could offer. For so long, she had been afraid to accept this unknown side of her, but here was Lonnie, one of her best friends, telling her there were people who would always love her unconditionally.

Lonnie immediately wrapped her arms around the blue haired girl, and just held her while Evie cried, eventually falling asleep.

* * *

Evie woke up with a crick in her neck, but she had never felt more at ease. It had been a relief to tell someone what was swirling around in her head. It had made it easier to begin to accept that yes, she did like girls, not just guys. It would take time to undo her mother's words, but she now knew it was possible.

She still was trying to figure out what her choice would be, but knowing she could talk to someone about it was a relief.

"Hey, E," Lonnie smiled as she walked into the room, a cup of tea in each hand. She handed one to Evie, then sat down on the bed. "I woke up about five minutes ago, and figured you might want some tea."

"Thanks, Lonnie," Evie yawned, sitting up. "And thanks for last night. I really needed that."

"You're pretty much my sister, Evie. I'll always be at your side, no matter what you chose to do."

Evie smiled, sipping her tea. "You wanna watch a movie? I just need to relax."

"Sounds great," Lonnie beamed.

* * *

 _You home, Carlos?_

 _Yeah. You coming over?_

 _Already on my way. Be there in five._

Carlos set his phone down, shoving his dirty clothes into his closet so Mal would have room to sit on his bed.

"Hey, Dude," Carlos smiled as he petted his dog's head. His dog was his constant companion, as Dude was a service dog. When Carlos had been young, he was terrified of dogs. And then he had been adopted, and though they didn't push, his family got him accustomed to dogs. Which was good, because it turned out he had severe diabetes, and they had gotten him a service dog. Carlos was thankful that he had been adopted, because he knew otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to have a service dog that made sure his blood sugar didn't get too low. That's why he had started a club at Auradon Prep, one in which students would help train service dogs, and anyone who had one, or needed one, could get together and exchange stories. Between that and computer club, he had his hands full. However, he always made time for Mal, because she was the one who was always there for him, and would drop everything if he needed to talk to her, even if it was three in the morning and she could get in trouble.

Carlos knew his other friends would do what they could for him as well, but they had much more going on in their lives. His sister was in charge of the yearbook, and also had violin lessons all the time. Jay was usually at practice, or hanging out with Lonnie. Evie was doing the most, as she was on the cheerleading team, the yearbook, was the president of the fashion club and was part of the academic decathlon. He understood they were busy, and respected it. They all had other things going on.

Mal, though, was only involved with art, occasionally helping out painting crew for the plays or musicals, but she preferred to work in her room, or hang out with Carlos. They would often hang out in one of their rooms. Sometimes they watched movies or played video games or talked about everything, but sometimes, just sitting together, doing their own thing was enough.

That's why Carlos considered her his best friend, and was glad he could help make her prom one she could look back on and smile.

Carlos smiled and shook his head when he heard a knock on his window. _Some things never change_ he thought as he opened it, revealing Mal.

She climbed in, dropping her bag on Carlos' bed, before greeting Dude.

"How's the fundraising going?" she asked, sitting down on Carlos' bed.

"We're almost to our goal," Carlos smiled, sitting next to his friend. The service dog training club was raising money to help one of the club members afford a service dog.

"How much more do you need?"

"Um," Carlos grabbed his phone. "Let me check." He scrolled through his notes, finding the one that had the information. "We need.. $147."

"Well, today's your lucky day," Mal grinned, rummaging around in her bag. "Mom gave me some money for your club. She hopes that all the kids at school who need a service can get one within the year. But to start, she gave me money to give you for this one. Here you go," she handed a check to her friend.

Carlos' eyes widened when he looked at it. "Three hundred dollars? Mal, are you serious?"

"Hey, mom's all about your club. She thinks it's a great idea, and she wants to help out," Mal shrugged. "She really wanted you to reach your goal. She said, and I quote 'it's the least I can do.'"

"If this is the least she can do…" Carlos started, still looking at the check. "I wonder what the most she can do would be."

"Oh, it'd be a lot, I promise that," Mal grinned. "I'm just proud of you for doing this, C. It's a great thing to do."

"Thanks, Mal," Carlos ducked his head shyly. "Dude has helped me a lot, and I want those who need a service dog that can't afford it to be able to have one."

"And to think you used to be terrified of dogs."

"Well, mom, Jay and Jane helped with that. And I'm glad. I love Dude."

"He's a good boy. Yes you are," Mal bent down to pet said dog again. "So, what's on the agenda for tonight?"

"Video games, followed by pizza and a movie. Sound good?"

"Sounds perfect," Mal smiled as she kicked her shoes off. "You're going down, De Vil."

"Oh, you're on, Hope," Carlos smirked.

* * *

A/n: so, one more chapter left!

and though i know i shouldn't, i have a ton more ideas of possible stories. you can check them out on my profile, and vote for which one you want to see next.

also, if you want to see other scenes of the gang in this high school AU on an average day, just let me know. after i finish the chapters for this plot line, i can write scenes that aren't part of this story if y'all want. just leave me prompts. you can also send me scenes you want to see, or other story ideas through PM or on tumblr (hope-can-be-your-sword) or on instagram (queenreynaofnewrome).

thanks for reading! and you can find my original story i'm working on on wattpad. my username there is hidden_sunrise

~NewtsSuitcase


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